


no promises

by RottenKidNextDoor (PortalofWords)



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F, Kissing Booth, M/M, Secret Crush, evie and carlos are bros, good intentions not so great actions, scheming jay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29295471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PortalofWords/pseuds/RottenKidNextDoor
Summary: "jay couldn’t just let carlos kiss all the boys at auradon prep before he got a chance to wow him in some impressive way. it simply wasn’t fair."orevie enlists carlos' help with a kissing booth fundraiser, and jay's secret crush gets in the way.
Relationships: Jay/Carlos de Vil
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	no promises

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! i know it's been a minute since i posted any jaylos works, but this one is pretty special! i wrote it as a commission piece for @/telli1206 (tumblr) and they've given me permission to post it here!
> 
> if you've followed my work on here and want to commission me to write something for you (doesn't have to be jaylos!), reach out to my tumblr @/somethingwritey! i have a very organized post laying out my prices, frequently written ships, and even writing samples! i am more than willing to sit down and brainstorm a plot with you, outline all the details, and keep you updated on the writing process every step of the way! 
> 
> i look forward to writing for you :) enjoy this piece!

If it had been anyone other than Evie asking, Carlos would’ve said no.

His prowess remained in the computer and science realms, plus maybe the dog expertise one. But nowhere on his list of skills did Carlos de Vil claim to be a romantic. 

“It’s not real romance,” Evie insisted, ruffling his curls. “Just a kissing booth. All you gotta do is stand there and look cute.” 

Carlos raised an eyebrow. “And be kissed. By people.” 

She sighed, glancing down at her clipboard. “I know, I know. But Audrey put me in charge of this fundraiser, and I really want to impress her. I have one last slot to fill by this afternoon, and I’ve run out of other options.” 

_Damn._

“Can’t you just get Jay? This sort of thing is right up his alley.” 

Evie tugged at her blue curls, huffing. “Believe me, I tried, but his tourney schedule apparently excuses him from being helpful.” She turned her pleading gaze on him. “So will you do me this favor? Please?” She fished around in her purse, pulling out a bejeweled wallet. “Here! I’ll pay you!” 

Carlos shook his head, waving her off. “Evie, it’s fine. I’ll do it. No bribe necessary.” 

From the look on her face, he could’ve just told Evie that he’d purchased her a brand new castle. She threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on his cheek. And he had to admit, for a moment, it was almost worth it. 

///

Jay wondered if Evie had done it on purpose. 

If somehow she’d been so upset at his refusal to help that she’d come up with the best way to get back at him. 

“ _Carlos_?” he hissed, cornering her in the hallway after class. “You asked _Carlos_?” 

She stared back at him, perfectly calm. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re diabolical.” He frowned, the gears in his head already turning. Evie knew about Jay’s stupid crush on Carlos and also his stubborn refusal to do anything about it. There was no way her selection had been an accident. 

Jay would’ve liked to interrogate her until she cracked, but before he could, the warning bell rang. And while he wasn’t particularly excited to get to his next class, Coach had warned him that too many tardies would result in him being benched next game no matter how well he performed at practice. 

“Jay,” Evie called as he stomped away. “If you mess with my kissing booth -” 

“Yeah, yeah!” 

_No promises._

Jay couldn’t just let Carlos kiss all the boys at Auradon Prep before he got his chance to wow Carlos in some impressive way. It simply wasn’t fair. He needed to do something, and quickly. 

///

The first person he tracked down just so happened to be the King of Auradon. 

“Jay.” Ben hardly looked up from his stack of papers, trying to maneuver around him. After he realized Jay was intentionally blocking his path, he glanced up with a frown. “What’re you doing?” 

Jay just made himself bigger, staring Ben down. 

“Okay, dude, you’re kinda creeping me out.” Ben took a step backward, adjusting his crown as if to reassure himself of his own power. “What’s up?” 

“You know the Kissing Booth Evie is setting up today?” Jay glanced at the wall, where a perfectly colored poster for the fundraiser had been taped up. He pointed at it. “That one?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Ben nodded. “She needed a permit to have it on campus, so I helped her get one. She seems really excited about it.” 

“You can buy a ticket to kiss everyone, but Carlos.” 

Ben stared at him. “I’m not sure I understand -” 

“Carlos is helping her at the stand,” Jay continued. “You will not kiss him.” 

Ben licked his lips. “Jay, I’m the King. Surely you don’t think I can successfully be threatened -” 

But Jay had come prepared. “I’ll tell your parents that you let Mal practice her stick-and-poke tattoos on you,” he said automatically, refusing to budge. He prided himself on having dirt on people. It made threatening them a piece of cake. 

As if to prove his point, Ben’s eyes widened. “Oh - uh - not Carlos. Got it. I won’t kiss Carlos.” 

“Even on the cheek!” 

“Even on the cheek,” Ben echoed. Then he lowered his voice. “Jay, I’m serious, don’t tell my parents about that.” 

Jay grinned. “About what?” 

///

Jane was eating lunch peacefully under one of the big trees on the lawn when Jay found her. 

“Dalmations!” she cursed, sitting up when she noticed him lurking. “Jay, you scared me!” 

It wasn’t lost on him that’d begun using Carlos’ favorite curse. They’d been spending time together. 

“Carlos is going to be helping Evie with that kissing booth today,” Jay said, getting right down to business. He had nothing against Jane, but the thought of her with someone as interesting as Carlos…. well, it just didn’t sit right with him. 

“Oh, I know!” She smiled brightly at him, offering him some of her food like Auradon kids always did. It was something Jay would never get used to, not after all the years he’d spent fighting for scraps on the Isle. “Evie told me!” 

“Don’t kiss him.” 

Jane lowered her arm, placing her sandwich back in its tin. “Jay, that’s… kinda the point of a kissing booth.” 

“Yeah, well.” Jay shook his head. “Kiss Evie instead. Or someone else. But not him.” 

Jane studied his face, twisting a strand of her hair around her finger nervously. “I - I don’t know - won’t that make him sad?” 

But Jay wasn’t listening. He just flexed his arms and drew himself up taller. “If you kiss Carlos, I’ll tell FG that you tried some of Audrey’s drink at the tailgate last week.” 

“It was just a sip!” Now, Janey looked really scared. “I promise! I won’t kiss him! Lonnie has nice lips! It’ll be fine!” 

The reaction couldn’t have been more perfect. Jay grinned, zipping his own mouth shut. “Then that will stay our secret.” 

He walked away with a little skip in his step, already planning his next victim. 

/// 

All of Carlos’ friends were acting weird. 

He’d tried to talk to Jane in History of Pirates, but she’d barely met his eye. Doug hadn’t shown up at their usual spare-block study session, and he was ninety-percent sure Ben had been avoiding eye contact in the hallway. 

Evie was the only one who wasn’t treating him like a social pariah. 

“Hey, Carlitos!” she called as he approached. She was putting the finishing touches on her kissing booth. “How does it look?” 

He surveyed the pink and red booth, with its flashing sign and strung-up lights. 

“Looks great,” he told her, his smile only slightly forced. At least she was talking to him. 

“It does, doesn’t it?” She tilted her head, taking it all in, before clapping her hands together. “Okay! We don’t have long until we’re officially open! Let’s get into position.” 

Evie had gotten Lonnie, Chad, Mal, and a couple other students he didn’t recognize to take shifts at the stand. She’d also set up several pitchers of lemonade and baskets of mints for those not on-duty, which was where everyone had gathered now. He joined the mismatched crew with an awkward little wave. 

“Oh, Evie got you, too.” Mal shook her head when she saw him, sounding defeated. “I tried to run, I really did.” 

“You and me both.” 

As a crowd of students swarmed in front of Evie’s booth, a sinking feeling started to form in the pit of Carlos’ stomach. He trusted his instincts. They’d helped him survive on the island, and even if this wasn’t a life or death situation, he knew they were alerting him for a reason. Something was off. 

Tickets were purchased requesting kisses from Chad, Lonnie, a decent R.O.A.R. player Carlos had forgotten the name of, and even Mal! But an hour into the stand’s opening and no one had requested Carlos. 

He drank several glasses of lemonade, listening to all the other volunteers be summoned by Evie over and over again to give their kisses. 

Even Jane, who Carlos had been sure would purchase a ticket for him, couldn’t meet his eyes as she mumbled something about wanting to kiss Lonnie instead. 

Eventually, it became a little too noticeable, and Evie bit her lip, staring at him. He shrugged halfheartedly back, swirling his empty cup. He wondered if she wished she’d gotten someone more desirable to fill the last volunteer slot. 

Someone cleared their throat next to him. 

He jerked his head up and noticed that Jane had somehow snuck up on him. Self-pity was dangerous, and this was proof. 

“Hi, Jane.” 

“How’s your day going?” she asked, hands fidgeting. 

He raised an eyebrow, deadpan. “Fantastic. I’ve wasted a whole afternoon confirming that pretty much no one in this whole school wants to kiss me. Even for a fundraiser.” 

Jane bit her lip, sighing. “I would’ve picked you, but he - Carlos, he can be really scary -” 

Carlos’ eyes narrowed, and he held up a hand. “Who?” 

Jane let out a little squeal; she’d revealed something she wasn’t supposed to share. “I - he told me not to tell you -” 

Straightening up, Carlos looked around. There was only one person awful enough to try and sabotage him like this. Chad Charming used to pull shitty pranks back in Carlos’ tourney days, too. And while they weren’t exactly harmful, they weren’t entirely playful, either. “What a prick! Trust me, Mal will rip him to shreds. She threatens to do it every other day as it is.” 

“What?” Jane stopped chattering. “Why would she want to hurt Jay?” 

“Not him. Chad is -” And then Carlos stopped, her words registering. “Wait, _Jay_?” 

Terrified blue eyes staring back at him were the only confirmation he needed. 

Carlos’ mind began to spin. Why would Jay threaten Jane not to kiss him? And what about everyone else? Had Jay somehow threatened the entire student body not to pick Carlos for the kissing booth? _Why_? 

Jane had scurried away by the time Carlos looked up, but that didn’t matter. Because strolling down the path towards the booth was the very person he needed to confront.

“Hey, Eves,” Carlos heard him say smugly, slapping down some money. “I think you know who I’m gonna pick.” 

Carlos curled his hands into fists and marched towards him, shoving other volunteers out of the way. “Jay!” 

Jay grinned when he saw him. “Hey, ‘Los! Waiting for someone to kiss you?” 

How dare he grin at him like that, rubbing salt in the wound! Making it clear to the whole crowd that no one wanted Carlos de Vil. Not now. Not ever. 

“I don’t know,” Carlos retorted hotly. “Why don’t you ask everyone you threatened so they wouldn’t kiss me? Why’d you do it, huh? Is your ego really that fragile? Couldn’t bear the thought of me having kissed more people than you?” 

The conversations around them died. That had gotten people’s attention. 

Jay’s smile faded, too. “I - Carlos, it’s not like that -” 

Feeling all those eyes on him was making Carlos’ uncomfortable. “Whatever,” he sighed. “You win, Jay. Like always.” 

Jay blinked, reeling like someone had just struck him. “I wasn’t trying to beat you, Carlos,” he said at last. “I was trying to kiss you.” 

An audible gasp came from those around them, students backing up to give Jay space. 

“What do you say?” Jay asked. “Can I do that?” 

Carlos felt numb. Confused. He watched Jay. Watched everyone looking at them. Vaguely, he was aware of Evie saying his name before he turned and walked away. 

/// 

Jay knew he’d fucked up. 

He glanced around. People were whispering, staring at him. He’d never minded being the center of attention, but Carlos had never enjoyed it. 

_How could he have been so stupid?_

“Jay,” Evie hissed. “I told you not to mess with things!” 

He shook his head, trying to clear it. “Then why did you choose Carlos for the booth?”

She gaped back at him. “Because he’s my friend! And I figured you’d kiss him like a normal person instead of making him feel useless!” 

_Oh._

Jay hadn’t even considered just kissing him without a big public demonstration. He’d thought that’s what people wanted here - a huge declaration of love, a grand gesture. Saving the princess from the tower, the deep sleep, a wicked step-mother. 

But Carlos… Carlos hadn’t needed any of that.

“What do I do?” Jay asked quietly, watching Carlos disappear across the lawn. 

“I can’t tell you that,” Evie shrugged. “You’re gonna have to figure it out on your own.” 

///

Carlos didn’t want to go back to the dorm. 

For one thing, it meant having to look at his own tear-stained face in the mirror. And for another, it meant seeing the one person he’d been avoiding all evening. 

He dragged his feet, trying to slow his steps. 

After the kissing booth fiasco, he’d escaped to his favorite place on campus: the library. It was always quiet, warm, and full of books - the perfect place to hide away for a while. Unfortunately, the one on campus closed at midnight, and he was far too tired to walk all the way downtown to the public one. 

Not even the smallest steps could stop the inevitable, and way too soon, Carlos found himself facing his dormitory door. He took a deep breath, staring at the dark paneled wood. 

Maybe Jay had taken the hint and slept over at a friend’s dorm. Maybe he’d gone out to practice tourney. Maybe the room would be blissfully and perfectly empty, with just Carlos’ beloved dog waiting patiently for him on the bed so he could pretend to be asleep if Jay ever came back. 

His fingers curled around the knob as he slid the key in, twisting it. The door swung open to reveal: 

Video games? And… pizza? Yes, a delicious smelling pizza box had been left open on his bed next to a controller. 

Carlos looked around suspiciously.

Jay stepped into view, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, ‘Los.” 

Immediately, Carlos’ eyebrows knitted together. “You did this.” 

“I know you probably don’t wanna see me,” Jay shrugged. “But I wasted your afternoon, so the least I could do was make sure I didn’t waste your night, too.” 

Carlos eyed the pizza again, his stomach betraying him. He really was hungry, and it did smell so good. He glared at Jay, taking a step closer to the pizza. 

“I’m… sorry,” Jay continued, and Carlos stopped. Jay never apologized for anything. “I shouldn’t have threatened all your friends. It was selfish. And stupid.” 

“Yeah.” Carlos wasn’t going to argue with that. 

“I don’t know why I got it in my head to do that.” Jay stared at the floor, twisting the bottom of his tank top in his hands. Carlos watched for just a little too long. “I just… thought that Auradon required the prince to be… valiant? To swoop in and save their person? Not that you’re a damsel in distress or anything. I don’t know; it sounds so stupid now. I should’ve just kissed you.” 

Funny enough, the logic made sense. Jay, desperate to be a hero. To save him. To win the day. 

Carlos had always admired Jay. Maybe not-so-secretly enjoyed when they cuddled for warmth or when Jay draped an arm over the couch while they watched TV. Now that the humiliation wasn’t quite so fresh, he could sit with the idea that Jay liked him romantically.

And the thought of him plotting out a big stupid grand gesture was somewhat endearing if he could look past the idiocy of it all. 

“You could kiss me now.” Carlos surprised himself by saying it. He’d been expected to ice Jay out all night - maybe even through to the next day. Not forever, of course, never forever, but a good long while. 

And yet, here Jay was, in his terribly attractive tank top - hair all wet from a shower - with Carlos’s favorite video games, pizza, and an apology. Plus, an explanation that made Carlos’ heart twinge. 

He didn’t know anything about love. And neither did Jay, apparently. 

But maybe that was okay. 

Jay blinked - stunned at Carlos’ response - before nodding. He took a step forward, and Carlos met him there, balling his fists up in Jay’s shirt as he raised himself up on his toes to reach Jay’s lips. 

Their kiss was good.

It wasn’t Carlos’ first, necessarily, but it was one of the first ones he’d actually wanted. _Asked_ for. 

That was new. Having that kind of power over his situation. He liked it. 

“How was that?” Jay asked when they broke apart, running a hand through his hair. “Alright?” 

“Eh,” Carlos teased, offering him a grin to show he was kidding. “You might have to kiss me again so I can be sure. Wider sample for a stronger scientific concl -” 

He never got to finish his intelligent retort because Jay’s lips had landed back on his. Carlos couldn’t help laughing into it a little. 

“You don’t have to be a prince, you know,” Carlos mumbled at last, looking up into Jay’s eyes. 

“I am!” Jay paused, then gave him one of his signature smirks. “A prince of thieves.” 

Carlos rolled his eyes and walked over to the pizza. “Alright, fine. Just as long as you don’t steal my pizza.” 

That made Jay laugh. “No promises, Pup.” 

_No promises, indeed._

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments and kudos are always appreciated! 
> 
> again, if you liked what you read here and want a commission piece of your own, please message me on tumblr @/somethingwritey! pricing and samples are up on my page for further details!


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